25 of the Most Interesting Engine Swaps We've Ever Seen

Obvious engine swaps, like putting an LS V8 in a Nissan 240SX, are great, but we're not here to celebrate those. Instead, we're highlighting the wackiest, most ingenious, and wildest swaps we've seen over the years. Here are some of your favorites.

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Driftworks

650-HP Z06 Supercharged V8-Powered BMW M3

The folks at Driftworks in the UK decided it would be a good idea to drop an LT4 crate motor (the same supercharged V8 found in the current Corvette Z06) into an E92-generation M3. Purists might not like it, but we approve.

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Hennessey Performance

Hennessey's V8-Swapped Ford F-150 Raptor

If you're disappointed with the fact Ford decided not to put a V8 in its latest Raptor, you're not the only one. Hennessey Performance currently offers a conversion that swaps out that Ecoboost V6 for a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 making over 750 horsepower.

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YouTubeThe Fast Lane Car

Hellcat-Swapped Prius

This was bound to happen. One of the most disliked vehicles in the enthusiast world is made interesting with the help of a Hellcat crate engine modified to make 1000 horsepower. Here it is decimating a Demon on the drag strip.

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eBay

8.2-Liter Cadillac V8-Swapped Porsche 911 Targa

This 1981 911 Targa looks pretty much stock from the outside save for a rear seat delete, but underneath, it's a totally different story. Occupying the section behind the driver is a massive V8 taken from a 1970 Cadillac Eldorado. It must be a hoot to drive.

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Craigslist

Honda S2000-Swapped Toyota Tacoma

We first spotted this interesting S2000-engined Tacoma for sale on Craigslist, and eventually talked of the builder, who told us all about it. It's pretty unassuming save for those wheels, and looks like a seriously good time.

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Jay Leno's Garage

1650-HP Mercury Marine-Swapped Dodge Charger

This Charger, featured on Jay Leno's Garage, is powered by a monstrously ferocious twin-turbo V8 built by Mercury Marine Racing—a company that supplies engines to racing boats. As you'd expect, the burnouts are a sight to behold.

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BH Auction

Top Secret V12-Powered Toyota Supra

This Supra, originally built by legendary shop Top Secret, packs a 930-horsepower twin-turbo V12 sourced from a Toyota Century under the hood. Top speed was clocked at a truly bonkers 222 mph.

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YouTubeOEMMEDI Meccanica

Lamborghini V12-Swapped Fiat 500

We're surprised the folks at Oemmedi Meccanica were able to fit a Lamborghini V12 into a Fiat 500, much less get it to drive properly. Of course, to get everything functioning, there was a ton of body and suspension work completed.

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YouTube19Bozzy92

Porsche 993 Turbo-Powered Volkswagen Bus

Though it looks like a normal VW Bus on the outside (save for some bigger wheels and brakes), this track monster is packing the drivetrain from a 993-generation Porsche 911 Turbo underneath.

Not getting enough excitement from your Phantom's quiet, 6.75-liter V12? Well, you're not alone. The owner of this Phantom had its original engine replaced with a hugely powerful, ultra-reliable 2JZ straight-six from the Toyota Supra. It's about as baller as a car can get.

As if Volkswagen's famous Thing needed to be weirder, someone went and fit the turbocharged rotary engine from a third-generation Mazda RX-7 to this one. Why? We're not sure, but it's all sorts of rad.

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Craigslist

LS3-Powered Porsche 911 GT3

We've seen 911s with V8 engine swaps in the past, but none as sacrilegious as this. This LS3-swapped 997-generation GT3 popped up on Craigslist awhile back, and it's exactly as bothersome for purists as it sounds. Sure, that flat-six wail is gone, but who are we to say no to 525 horsepower?

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YouTubeThe Smoking Tire

800-HP 2JZ-Powered BMW E39 M5

The E39 M5 is famous for its fantastic-sounding, torquey 4.9-liter S62 V8 engine. But what happens when it blows up? Drop in an 800-horsepower supra engine, of course. The result is a super sedan with seemingly unlimited shove and a whole lot of whooshing noises.

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YouTubeThe Smoking Tire

Honda K24-Powered Mazda Miata

As you know, the Mazda Miata is the World's Most Perfect Car, but you can make one even perfecter with a K24 four-cylinder from a Honda under the hood. This one makes 250 horsepower and revs all the way to 8200 rpm. Amazing.

Owing to their ubiquitousness, people have stuffed pretty much every engine imaginable into the back of a Beetle, but this 13B-rotary powered Beetle might be the coolest. This one makes at least 250 horsepower and runs the quarter mile in the 10s.

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Zach Bowman

Toyota Supra-Powered Toyota Corona Wagon

This engine-swapped Toyota Corona Wagon keeps things in the family, but it's still a wild car. Its engine comes from a JDM Toyota Supra, makes 400 horsepower, and revs to 8000 rpm. When we drove it, we barely survived to tell the story.

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glenn4282 via eBay

M5 V10-Powered BMW E46 M3

This amazing build is the definition of a sleeper. Both inside and out, this looks like a stock E46-chassis BMW M3, but under the hood lives the 5.0-liter V10 from the E60-generation BMW M5. It's perhaps the ultimate BMW engine swap.

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Hauk Designs

Hellcat-Powered Jeep Wrangler

Hellcat swaps are as inevitable as Hellcat crashes, but finding Mopar's mighty supercharged V8 in a Wrangler was a surprise. Amazingly, the Wrangler Hellcat is four-wheel drive, but it'll cost you around $130,000.

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YouTubeBecause Daddy

Honda K20-Powered Porsche 911

There's the normal way of making Porsche purists angry, then there's this way. Instead of dropping in an LS block, one owner thought it would be a good idea to put a turbocharged K-series Honda engine into his classic 911. Check it out here.

What's a Synergy V8? Glad you asked! It's a 356-horse, 2.4-liter V8 comprised of two Kawasaki Ninja four-cylinders joined to a common crankshaft. It only makes 200 lb-ft of torque, but it redlines at 11,600 rpm. Suddenly, an LS-powered BRZ seems so boring.

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Flyin' Miata

LS3 V8-Powered Mazda Miata (ND)

This doesn't really require much explanation. What the goons at Flyin' Miata have done here is combine the amazing chassis of the current-generation Mazda Miata, with a 525-horse Small Block V8. It's perfect.

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